162 BRITISH FISH AND FISHERIES. 



and the snig-eel, (A. mediorostris^) whicl last 

 is of a yellow colour, and found in the Hamp- 

 shire Avon, and in the Worcestershire Avon, 

 where, in contradistinction to the silver eel, it is 

 termed the yellow eel. In some counties, the 

 term snig is applied to eels in general, and the 

 term grig to young eels ; there is, however, a 

 small eel in the Thames, called grig by the 

 fishermen, which is Cuvier's anguille plat-bee, 

 regarded by him as a distinct species, and 

 figured as such in Mrs. Bowdich's work on 

 Fresh Water Fishes. 



Our object, however, is not to enter upon 

 minutiae, yet we may observe, that of these 

 species the broad-nosed, or glut eel, called by 

 the Severn fishermen the frog-mouthed eel, is 

 thicker in the body in proportion to its length 

 than the others, and has a thicker, softer, and 

 more slimy skin. The sharp-nosed eel is the 

 species most usually seen in the London mar- 

 kets, and of which thousands are imported 

 from Holland. Mr. Yarrell states, that there 

 are two companies in Holland, having five 

 capacious well-vessels each, in which large 

 quantities of eels are preserved alive till wanted. 

 " One or more of those vessels may be con- 

 stantly seen lying off Billingsgate ; the others 

 go to Holland for fresh supplies, each bringing 



